Mirror, Mirror
by Child of Dreams
Summary: A princess raised as a servant. A jealous stepmother. A poisoned apple. Need I go on? We all know the story. So here is my version of this classic fairytale...
1. Prologue

_**Mirror, Mirror  
By: Child of Dreams**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom. I do not own Snow White.  
There, I said it, are you happy now?  
(stomps off to go sulk in bedroom about unfair copyright laws)**_

Chapter One: Prologue

 _Once upon a time, in a faraway land, lived a king and queen.  
Kind and generous, fair and merciful, King Gustave and Queen Charlotte were much beloved by their people.  
Then, to add to the kingdom's joy, the Queen was found to be with child._

 _A princess was born, a beautiful little girl with hair of golden sunshine and eyes as blue as the sky on a clear summer's day, and was given the name 'Christine'.  
Unfortunately, just a few days later, Queen Charlotte grew ill and died of childbed fever.  
The King was inconsolable, weeping loudly over his wife's body, a screaming Christine clutched tightly to his chest._

 _Six years later, the king remarried - having decided that Christine needed a mother.  
But shortly after, he became ill, finally succumbing shortly after Christine's seventh birthday._

 _Now, Queen Carlotta was indeed very beautiful with her long, silky black hair and glinting dark green eyes - but she was also proud and haughty, and could not bear even the slightest idea that someone else might one day surpass her in beauty.  
Each day, the vain Queen consulted her magic mirror.  
"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" she would ask.  
And as long as the mirror answered, "You, O Queen, are the fairest of all," little Christine remained safe from her stepmother's cruel jealousy.  
But then, on the eve of the Princess' sixteenth birthday, everything changed..._

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Two...


	2. The Mirror

_**A Message from the Authoress: Okay, I don't usually respond to guest reviews, and I don't usually have a problem with criticism, so long as it's for a genuine reason and you're not just saying it because you don't like the story.**_  
 _ **But this reviewer was particularly rude, saying, and I quote, "What is wrong with you? I'm guessing Trisomy X or some other developmental delay."**_

 ** _So, my not-so-dear Guest, here is your answer.  
What is wrong with me, you asked?  
That, Your Rudeness, would be a relatively mild form of Autism known as Asperger's Syndrome!  
And it's really none of your business, so kindly keep those kinds of comments to yourself!_**

 ** _Now, as for the other questions I've gotten..._**

 ** _Bill Kerman: Charlotte and Carlotta are two completely different people.  
Charlotte was Christine's birth mother, who died of childbed fever.  
Carlotta, a.k.a. the Evil Queen, is Christine's stepmother, who her father married when Christine was six years old._**

 ** _Guest: I believe the exact description (as quoted by Walt Disney) was "hair black as ebony, lips red as the rose, skin white as snow..."  
However, as this is a crossover with POTO, and Snow White's personality was rather innocent and naive, I'm choosing to go with the original description of Christine, provided by our dear Monsieur Leroux - where would we be without him? - which is blonde and blue-eyed._**

Chapter Two: The Mirror

Queen Carlotta lounged lazily on her bed, dressed in an ivory satin bed wrapper, her dark hair unbound and fanning out over the pillows, ample breasts on display.  
Reaching over to the bowl on the stand next to the bed, she popped a cherry into her mouth.  
 _"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall..."_ she purred, preening slightly, _"who is the fairest one of all?"_  
Plucking a second cherry, she awaited the mirror's response.

Ever since the death of her husband, Queen Carlotta had become more and more vain, taxing the land into starvation, throwing lavish, expensive balls, and buying horrifically gaudy gowns and large, flashy jewels to show off to visiting nobles.  
For the past nine years, the mirror - which she'd received as a wedding gift from the Shah of Persia - had dutifully replied that she was the fairest in the land with her lovely olive complexion, generous curves, and naturally pouty lips.  
So, of course, she was expecting to hear the same now.  
But then...

 _"Beautiful thou may be, O Queen, but, alas, the young Princess is more fair than thee..."_

Carlotta choked on the tiny fruit, her face turning white with rage.  
"That wretched girl!" she snarled furiously.

Oh, she wasn't blind, not by any means.  
She had noticed quite early on that her stepdaughter seemed to grow more and more beautiful with each passing year.  
At first, this hadn't bothered her, as the child was far too young to be of any real competition to her.  
But now, with Christine so close to a marriageable age... and tomorrow her sixteenth birthday...  
Sixteen years old...

Carlotta's eyes flashed furiously and she got quickly to her feet, striding determinedly out of her quarters.  
Where was that blasted assassin of hers when she needed him?

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Three...


	3. The Plot

Chapter Three: The Plot

"You sent for me, Your Grace?" the cloaked figure uttered emotionlessly.  
Queen Carlotta smirked.  
"Yes..."

She handed him a large sack of gold and a small vial.  
"I need you to slip this into the Princess' drink tonight at dinner..."

The cloaked figure nodded silently, pocketed the money and vial, and then left, leaving a very satisfied Carlotta firmly convinced that this would be the end of her young rival.  
She couldn't have been more wrong.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Four...


	4. The Chance To Live

Chapter Four: The Chance To Live

Christine sighed slightly as she made her way to the Great Hall for dinner.  
All of a sudden, she felt a hand over her mouth and began to struggle desperately as someone grabbed ahold of her and dragged her into a hidden alcove.  
Breaking free, she turned to see a tall, cloaked figure with glowing golden eyes hidden behind a black silk mask.

The 15 year old's eyes widened, immediately recognizing her stepmother's personal assassin.  
"Your Highness," the masked man greeted politely, lightly pressing his lips to the back of her hand.  
His voice held a strange beauty and Christine found herself gravitating toward it like a bee to honey.  
And yet...

"What do you want with me?" she demanded, her voice quivering slightly.  
The masked man's eyes grew colder, and she felt an unsettling chill settle over her.  
"The Queen has ordered your death," he replied nonchalantly, as if they were merely discussing the weather.  
Christine gasped in horror.

"However, I don't intend to give her that joy..." he continued and Christine's heart leapt with hope.  
"How..." she began.  
"There is a small cottage located deep within the Dark Forest," the masked man explained.  
"I shall hide you there. That is, if you accept?"  
He stopped talking and looked at her.

Christine thought carefully for a few moments, then finally nodded her consent.  
It seemed that this was her only option if she wanted to survive.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Five...


	5. Sanctuary

Chapter Five: Sanctuary

The stone cottage was small, but comfortable.  
As her masked protector went to collect some firewood, Christine decided to explore her new home.  
Beyond the entryway, there was a large room with a very comfortable-looking couch in front of a brick fireplace, and further on, she could see a modestly-sized kitchen.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flight of stone steps leading upwards to what she assumed to be the bedroom.  
Heading upstairs, she found that she was correct in her assumption, but was then confronted with another problem.  
There was only one bed.

Oh, well, she would deal with that problem later.  
This place would do perfectly.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Six...


	6. Betrayal

Chapter Six: Betrayal

The next morning, the Queen was quite content.  
Her wretched stepdaughter had never arrived for dinner, which must mean that the assassin had done his job even better than Carlotta had anticipated!

Preening in satisfaction as she languidly brushed out her luxurious dark curls, the Queen gazed at her reflection in the mirror.  
 _"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"_ she purred seductively.  
But the words the mirror spoke were not what she was expecting to hear.

 _"With hair of gold and eyes of blue, the Princess Christine is still fairer than you!"_

Carlotta's jaw clenched.  
"The Princess Christine is dead!" she retorted angrily.  
"My assassin took care of her last night!"

"She lives," the mirror intoned.  
The Queen's eyes flashed furiously, and when she spoke, she was only able to force out one word.  
"Where?"

 _"Deep in the forest, in a cottage made of stone..."_ replied the mirror.  
 _"Dwells the Princess Christine, fairest of all known..."_

Carlotta let out a scream of rage as the mirror's voice faded away and seized a gilt and crystal vase and hurled it at the wall where it immediately smashed into a million pieces.  
She had been tricked!

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Seven...


	7. Bonding

Chapter Seven: Bonding

It didn't take long for Christine to adjust to her new living situation.  
When she confronted her masked guardian with the bedroom issue upon his return with the firewood, he had curtly informed her in no uncertain terms that she would be taking the bed while he slept downstairs on the couch, refusing to pay any heed to her vehement protests.

Over the past few days, her relationship with her host had blossomed into a tentative friendship, but there were times when Christine would be reading a book, humming quietly to herself, and she would glance up and catch him staring at her, his eyes filled with some strange emotion that she couldn't decipher... and yet, the moment he caught her looking at him, he would immediately divert his gaze to something else.  
It truly was quite puzzling...

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Eight...


	8. The Corset

Chapter Eight: The Corset

It was late afternoon and Christine was busy preparing dinner when a knock sounded at the back door.  
Glancing out the window, she saw a young girl, about twelve or thirteen years of age, with a basket tucked under one arm.  
"Girdles for sale! Girdles for sale!" the child called out cheerfully as Christine opened the door.

Moving closer to examine the contents of the basket, Christine found herself entranced by a shimmering silver set of satin stays.  
The child gasped in delight at seeing Christine's choice.  
"Please, Milady, could you perhaps try it on?" the young girl begged enthusiastically.  
"I have never found a woman worthy of it until now!"

Blushing slightly, Christine agreed and allowed herself to be laced up with the new stays.  
But the child laced and tugged so quickly and so tightly that Christine couldn't breathe and let out a soft cry of surprise before collapsing to the ground, where she lay, still and silent, no breath escaping her lips.  
"Now I must surely be the fairest of all!" the disguised Queen laughed triumphantly to herself before heading back to the castle.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Nine...


	9. The Corset, Part II

Chapter Nine: The Corset, Part II

Not long afterwards, in the evening, when Erik returned home from scouting the surrounding area for any potential dangers, he expected to find Christine waiting for him, their dinner on the table.  
Instead, there was a lingering smell of something burning, and no sign of Christine.

Following the smell into the kitchen, he found the back door open.  
Upon stepping outside, his heart stopped.

Christine.  
Lying on the ground.  
Eyes closed.  
Not breathing.  
No.

Immediately dropping to his knees beside her, Erik let out a scream of denial as he shook her roughly, trying in vain to wake her as her head flopped lifelessly from side to side.  
Lifting Christine's limp body into his lap and checking for a pulse, only to be met with despairing nothingness, he broke down in harsh sobs, hunched over Christine's still form as he wept.  
Oh God, she was dead.

Suddenly, he noticed the new silver stays that Christine was wearing.  
She certainly had not been wearing _those_ when he'd left the house that morning...  
With trembling fingers, he tugged and pulled until the laces began to fray and come loose.  
Not that taking them off would do her any good now.  
Christine was dead.

The satin dropped to the grass and Erik lowered his head once more, his tears soaking Christine's lovely golden hair.  
Suddenly, he heard a weak moan and his head shot up in disbelief to see two previously-closed eyelids slowly parting to reveal two beautiful blue orbs that were blinking dazedly up at the sky.  
"Christine..." he whispered hoarsely, his voice choked with emotion, as the young girl gazed up at him, her eyes filled with a strange combination of confusion and trust.

And at that moment, Erik was aware of two things.  
One was that Christine was somehow, unexplainably, miraculously alive, and the second was that he loved her.  
God help him, he loved her.

Erik almost pitied the next poor fool who tried to take his Christine away from him.  
They had better pray that their God would have mercy on them because Erik would not.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Ten...


	10. The Mirror, Part II

Chapter Ten: The Mirror, Part II

 _"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"_ Carlotta yawned as her maid, Sorelli, helped her into her gown.  
But the mirror's answer was much the same as before.

 _"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,  
But deep in the forest, in the humble cottage where your Assassin dwells,  
The Princess Christine is alive and well,  
And no one, not even you, my Queen, is as fair as she."_

The Queen let out a furious cry at the news.  
How could that little wretch still be alive?  
Why couldn't she just stay dead and spare Carlotta all of this misery?  
What would it take to be permanently rid of her?

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Eleven...


	11. The Rose

Chapter Eleven: The Rose

The next morning, Christine was singing to herself as she did the laundry.  
Suddenly, her ears perked up as she heard the sound of a child's laughter.  
Glancing up, her lips curved upward into a soft smile as a little girl, barely seven years of age, with pretty brown curls and big blue eyes, and wearing a lovely little pink dress came skipping merrily into view, a fistful of flowers clutched tightly in her tiny hand.

"Hello there!" Christine greeted the child warmly.  
"Hi!" the little girl chirped back happily, giving Christine an adorable gap-toothed grin.  
"What are you doing all the way out here all by yourself?" the golden-haired princess asked in concern.  
"Picking flowers!" the child replied cheerfully.  
"Look, I even found a rose!"  
Leaning forward, Christine saw a black rose, it's petals darker than onyx and its leaves a beautiful forest green.  
"You can have it if you like!" the little girl offered hopefully.

The Princess frowned slightly, her forehead wrinkling.  
Her guardian _had_ told her not to accept any more gifts from strangers, and she was _very_ well acquainted with the language of flowers...

She shook her head forcefully.  
No, she was being silly.  
This was but an innocent child, posing no threat to her.

Reaching forward, Christine took the rose, letting out a hiss of pain as one of the thorns broke off, embedding itself deep inside her finger.  
Almost immediately, her limbs began to grow strangely heavy as a dull fogginess stole over her mind.  
The last thing she knew before everything went black and her legs gave way underneath her was the sound of laughter.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twelve...


	12. The Rose, Part II

Chapter Twelve: The Rose, Part II

The next thing Christine remembered was an unnerving sense of being forcibly pulled away from a paralyzing coldness.  
Then, she opened her eyes to see her protector's masked face mere inches from her own, his breathing ragged and coming in harsh pants against her cheek and his golden eyes wild with terror and desperation.  
"Christine," he gasped out breathlessly once he saw that she was awake.  
"Oh, thank God, Christine..."

The sixteen year old blinked up at him in surprise.  
"W-what happened?" she stammered weakly, trying to sit up, but not quite having the strength to manage it.  
The masked man nodded toward the rose lying on the ground nearby.  
"You had a thorn lodged in your finger, it was poisoned."

All Christine could do in response to this news was close her eyes as a sudden wave of dizziness overcame her.  
She could hear her masked guardian calling her name worriedly, insistently, but she couldn't find the strength to respond as she drifted back into the darkness.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Thirteen...


	13. The Mirror, Part III

Chapter Thirteen: The Mirror, Part III

 _"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall..."_ Queen Carlotta sighed upon waking up the next morning, _"who is the fairest one of all?"_

 _"Blue of eye with golden hair,"_ the mirror began and Carlotta's eyes narrowed dangerously.  
 _"Her pure heart a beauty rare,_  
 _The Princess Christine is the land's most fair."_

As soon as the mirror went silent, the Queen let out a frustrated scream, her eyes popping with rage.  
"SHE'S STILL ALIVE?" Carlotta howled in disbelief, positively shaking with fury.  
Several very expensive and very fragile pieces of china quickly found themselves in pieces on the floor.  
"Christine _will_ die," she seethed venomously, "even if it costs me my life."

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Fourteen...


	14. The Mask

Chapter Fourteen: The Mask

It took a week for Christine to recover enough strength to be able to get out of bed, and even then, she couldn't stay on her feet for long before the dizzy spells returned with a vengeance.  
During those seven days, her host was particularly attentive to her needs.

But the problem remained that she still didn't know his name, or even what he looked like beneath that accursed mask.  
The sixteen year old let out an irritated huff.  
The mere sight of it was enough to make her blood boil.

So, one day, about a month after the incident with the rose, unable to bear her curiosity anymore, she crept downstairs shortly before dawn to where her host was sleeping and cautiously removed his mask...

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Fifteen...


	15. The Mask, Part II

Chapter Fifteen: The Mask, Part II

Immediately, Christine regretted what she had done as her host shot up with a heartwrenching cry of despair, frantically patting at his ruined face and emitting tortured howls of horror and anguish when he couldn't find what he was searching for.  
"No..." he rasped hoarsely, golden eyes wide and terrified, gasping for breath.  
"My mask... where is my mask?"

Trembling from head to toe, Christine stepped forward and handed the mask back to him.  
He immediately reattached it to his face, making sure it was secure and not about to fall off at any second, before turning his attention to her.

"You removed Erik's mask," he said coldly, his eyes like burning coals.  
Christine gulped and backed away as he stalked toward her like a panther.  
"You removed Erik's mask," he repeated, almost thoughtfully, to himself.  
"Erik has killed men for that..."

Christine whimpered and his eyes returned to her.  
"Oh, don't worry, little Princess, Erik is not going to kill you," he said in a conversational tone.  
The sixteen year old blinked in surprise and he chuckled darkly before walking over to the door and opening it.  
"Get out."  
Christine fled.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Sixteen...


	16. The Poison

Chapter Sixteen: The Poison

It had taken her a few weeks to procure, but the means to her rival's demise was now within Carlotta's grasp.  
Just a little bit of iocane, and precious little Christine would truly be dead.  
Now, to set her plan into action...

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Seventeen...


	17. Loved And Lost

Chapter Seventeen: Loved And Lost

Christine was running, tears streaming down her cheeks as sharp thorns scratched her face and arms, and branches caught in her hair.  
Oh, why had she ever removed that wretched mask?  
And why had he reacted so badly?  
His face wasn't even that bad...

No, Christine privately admitted, that wasn't quite true, his face was perfectly grotesque, but she loved him regardless.  
At that thought, her tears flowed faster.  
She loved him.  
She knew that now, had known it ever since she'd awoken to find herself on the ground with him hovering over her after the incident with the rose.  
She loved him, and he had all but rejected her, before she had even had the chance to tell him of her love.

Sometime later, she found herself at the edge of a small clearing and sank to her knees beneath a large oak tree, too tired to take another step.  
Her mind was weary and her heart was in shreds, she just wanted to sleep, to escape from the pain, if only for a little while.  
And so, sleep she did.  
Laying down, she closed her eyes, quickly drifting off into dreams of her love, and praying to whoever might be listening that when she woke, he would be there.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Eighteen...


	18. Loved And Lost, Part II

Chapter Eighteen: Loved And Lost, Part II  


Erik was close to tearing his non-existent hair out of his scalp.  
What was he thinking, throwing his _petit ange_ out to fend for herself, especially when her witch of a stepmother wanted her dead!  
True, she had taken off his mask, but had he ever actually told her not to?  
She was bound to get curious eventually.

He had to go after her.  
If Christine died because of his thrice-accursed temper, Erik would never forgive himself.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Nineteen...


	19. The Poison, Part II

Chapter Nineteen: The Poison, Part II

When Christine opened her eyes, her heart leapt with joy to find the masked form of her beloved sitting nearby.  
But then she remembered how upset he had been about her removing his mask.  
"I'm sorry about the mask, I didn't know..."

At that, the masked man moved closer.  
"It's alright, all is forgiven. Here, have some wine, it will help you feel better."

Propping Christine up so that she could get a better drink, he took out a small flask.  
The sixteen year old had barely swallowed her first few gulps, however, when her head began to spin.  
Raising a hand to her head dazedly, Christine barely had time to register the masked form of her beloved changing into that of her wicked stepmother before losing consciousness, her body slumping lifelessly to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut.

Upon returning to the castle, the Queen said once more, _"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"_  
And at last the mirror replied, _"You, O Queen, are the fairest of all!"_

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty...


	20. Then My World Was Shattered

Chapter Twenty: Then My World Was Shattered...

Erik searched and searched, from sunrise until close to sunset.  
He hoped he found her soon, and that she was alright.  
Approaching a small clearing, his heart stopped at the sight of a familiar figure lying motionless underneath a large oak tree.

"No..." he gasped in horror, scrambling down the hill to where Christine lay limp and lifeless in the grass.  
"Christine, wake up!" the masked man begged desperately, shaking her violently.  
"Come on, _Mon Ange_ , please wake up!"  
But no matter how hard he tried, the sixteen year old simply wouldn't wake, and finally, Erik was forced to accept reality.  
Christine was dead.

Letting out a howl of grief, he pulled her limp form into his arms, his body wracked with sobs as he rocked back and forth, her head resting lifelessly against his shoulder.  
 _CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"_

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-One...


	21. Lost And Gone

Chapter Twenty-One: Lost And Gone...

Erik didn't know how long he sat there on the grass, weeping over the lifeless body of his one and only love, but by the time his grief-stricken haze receded and he was able to think clearly, dawn was breaking over the horizon and Christine had long-since grown cold in his arms.  
Letting out a broken sob, Erik leaned forward and tenderly pressed his lips to the sixteen year old's icy brow, before slowly, painfully, getting to his feet, Christine's limp form clutched tightly to his chest as he made the long trek back to his cottage.

Stumbling inside and up the steps to the bedroom, he gently laid Christine's body down on the bed before collapsing to his knees in tears once more.  
"Oh, _mon petite ange..."_ the masked man moaned in agony, tenderly brushing a stray curl out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.  
"What has Erik done?"

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Two...  
Oh, and before I forget, Erik would be most grateful if you guys could send him ideas on how to kill Carlotta?  
The poor man's currently far too griefstricken over Christine's death to be of any use in that particular area, and he REALLY wants to kill Carlotta for murdering his precious angel, so anything you guys can come up with would be a big help!


	22. We Do What We Must Do

Chapter Twenty-Two: We Do What We Must Do...

As he wept over the lifeless form on the bed, Erik's grief quickly became a raging fury solely directed at one person.  
Carlotta.  
By God, Erik vowed darkly, that witch would pay for what she had done to his Christine.

The young princess had been changed into a simple white gown with lace trim along the sleeves and collar, her long silvery-blonde curls carefully brushed out so that they fanned out across the pilows, framing her unnaturally pale face perfectly.  
The covers were pulled up to her shoulders.

Lovingly caressing the sixteen year old's pale porcelain cheek, Erik slowly retreated, his eyes never leaving the bed, until the door was closed.  
Then, heading back downstairs, he walked over to the fireplace and pushed on a particular brick.  
Instantly, the brick fell out to reveal a large wrought-iron key.

Removing the key from its hiding place and replacing the brick, he then went over to the couch and moved it aside to reveal a trapdoor.  
Opening the trapdoor, Erik descended into the pitch black darkness below.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Three...  
And Erik still needs ideas on how to kill Carlotta...  



	23. The Angel's Vengeance

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Angel's Vengeance

The next day, a knock sounded at the Queen's door.  
"Yes?" Carlotta purred lazily, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.  
"A gift has arrived for Your Majesty!" her maid answered, eyes lowered to the floor where they belonged.

Immediately Carlotta perked up.  
"A gift? From who?" she asked sharply, not betraying a hint of her excitement and anticipation.  
"I do not know, Your Grace, it just said, " _A_ _Secret Admirer_ ".  
"Bring it to me!" the Queen ordered harshly.  
Sorelli left and returned with a small golden chest and handed it to her mistress.

Opening it, Carlotta frowned in confusion at the sight of a tiny jeweled cordial and a note.  
Picking up the vial, she examined it carefully.  
It seemed perfectly harmless.

Glancing at the note, she read aloud:

 _"_ _To the fairest in all the land,  
One gift, a potion most rare  
Shall bring eternal youth and beauty beyond compare._

 _\- A Secret Admirer_ _"_

Carlotta's eyes widened in delight, and without a second thought, she picked up the cordial and raised it to her lips.  
As the last few drops of the potion trickled down her her throat, she turned to her mirror, expecting to see herself as a goddess among women.  
But instead, her features contorted as she let out a horrified scream.  
"My face! My hair!"  
Her face had aged rapidly, becoming wrinkled like an old woman's and her hair had turned gray!  
Screaming in horror at her new features, she staggered backward toward the balcony and lost her balance, falling over the railing to her death five stories below.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Four...


	24. My Broken Soul Can't Be Alive Or Whole

Chapter Twenty-Four: My Broken Soul Can't Be Alive Or Whole...

Days passed, then weeks.  
After the first week, the pain lessened slightly to a sort of detached numbness, and Erik, unable to find it in his heart to bury Christine, went out to the clearing where he had found her and began to craft a beautiful coffin of gold and glass, decorating it with roses and songbirds, and cushioning the interior with a thick woolen mattress, on top of which he added a second mattress, this one filled with goosefeathers, and fitted it with the finest silk sheets he could find.

After six months, the casket was finally complete, and as Erik carefully placed her inside, tenderly lowering her limp head onto a plump goosedown pillow surrounded by a wreath of white rosebuds and carefully folding her hands across her chest, after tucking a single, long-stemmed dark crimson rose tied with a black silk ribbon into them and curling her fingers around the stem, before closing the lid, his heart broke anew.

Gazing down at his sweet angel, looking so beautiful, even in death, the masked man let out a tortured howl as he collapsed to the ground, savagely ripping off his mask and flinging it across the clearing, his body shaking with the force of his sobs.  
"Christine..." he moaned, tears streaming down his ruined face.  
"Oh, _mon petit ange_. _.."  
_ He let out a strangled noise, shuddering heavily, then collapsed facefirst into the snow and screamed until his throat was raw and his lungs burned for want of oxygen before curling up and sobbing quietly until he drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Five...


	25. The Voice

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Voice

 _Erik was walking through a thick misty fog.  
Yet no matter how long he walked, the fog never lessened.  
As he walked, a voice reached his ears, a high, clear soprano that sounded almost otherworldly to his ears._

 _"Listen, my child, you say to me,_  
 _I am the voice of your history;_  
 _Be not afraid, come follow me,_  
 _Answer my call and I'll set you free..."_

 _"Who are you?" Erik called out to the unknown singer.  
"What is this place?"_

 _"I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain,_ _  
_ _I am the voice of your hunger and pain;  
I am the voice that always is calling you,  
I am the voice, I will remain..._

 _I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone,  
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow;  
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long,  
I am the voice that in springtime will grow..._

 _I am the voice of the past that will always be  
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields;  
I am the voice of the future, bring me your peace...  
Bring me your peace and my wounds, they will heal..."_

 _The singer came into view and Erik's eyes widened at the sight of a tall, willowy woman with flaming red hair, wearing nothing but a sheer white robe as she leapt and twirled around a small fire._

 _"I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain,  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain;  
I am the voice that always is calling you,  
I am the voice..."_

 _The woman's movements quickened, growing more passionate._

 _"I am the voice of the past that will always be,  
I am the voice of your hunger and pain;  
I am the voice of the future...  
I am the voice..."_

 _She spun gracefully, her vivid curls catching the firelight, and then dipped backwards before springing back up again a moment later._

 _"I am the voice!"_

 _Finishing her dance with a triple pirouette, the young woman turned to face him.  
"Oh, hello, Erik!" she greeted him cheerfully, showing no sign of surprise at his presence.  
"You've certainly kept me waiting, now, haven't you?"_

 _As soon as her eyes made contact with his, Erik gasped in astonishment and disbelief.  
Her eyes were a glowing golden amber, a perfect match to his own.  
How could this be?_

 _"Who are you?" the masked man wondered aloud, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.  
How did she know his name?_

 _The woman laughed, her voice like the tinkling of bells.  
"My name is Morgana, child. Morgana Le Fay.  
But you, little one, may call me Great-Grandmother..."_

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Six...


	26. The Voice, Part II

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Voice, Part II

 _Erik's head spun.  
"G-grandmother?" he choked out hoarsely, his jaw dropping.  
The woman - Morgana - smirked slightly.  
"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies..." she advised.  
"And yes, I am your many times great-grandmother."_

 _Erik was about to ask more when a flash of memory struck him with the force of a cannonball.  
"Christine!" he gasped out, his eyes wild with desperation.  
"Is she here?"  
For if he was truly talking to the legendary Morgana Le Fay, then he must be dead._

 _But Morgana shook her head, a faint smile etched on her lips.  
"You're not dead, Erik. More... between realms, so to speak."  
 _Her voice trailed off and Erik felt a a bitter stab of disappointment.__

 _" _ _ _However, not all is lost..."  
 _ _ _ _ _Erik's heart surged with hope anew.  
 _ _"Tis true that your beloved is dead, however, there is a possibility for her to be returned to the living..."___________

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _"How?" Erik interrupted desperately.  
"Please, I'll do anything!"__________________

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Morgana's eyes narrowed slightly.  
"Anything?" she repeated dubiously.  
"Anything," Erik vowed firmly._________________________

 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Morgana's catlike eyes now held an ominous gleam and Erik swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.  
What had he gotten himself into?_________________________

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Seven...


	27. Come Hell Or High Water

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Come Hell Or High Water

 _The stygian darkness seemed to cling to him, like an invisible hand clenching tighter and tighter.  
"You must journey to the Underworld, she says..." the masked man mimicked under his breath.  
"Request an audience with the King, she says..."_

 _Moving down the stairs, Erik paused, almost unwilling to take the next step forward, taking deep breaths to steady his nerves.  
After three gulps of the stale, putrid air that encircled him, he continued - and promptly lost his footing._

 _"Merde!" the masked man swore furiously as he stumbled and fell on the rocky surface.  
Getting painfully to his feet, he looked up to find his path blocked by a large winged creature, the likes of which he had never seen before._

 _"Trespasser!" the creature rasped angrily, its demonic red eyes glowing with a hellish fire.  
Erik gulped, but managed to speak clearly - barely.  
"I seek audience with His Majesty, Lord Mordred..."  
The creature hissed, but didn't attack.  
Instead it stared directly into his eyes for several minutes without so much as blinking before abruptly turning around in midair and flying off toward a tall, forbidding palace, rising ominously in the distance.  
_

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Eight...


	28. Follow If You Dare To

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Follow If You Dare To...

 _It was unlike any palace Erik had ever seen before.  
The walls were black as coal, the high roofs dark as night.  
Winged creatures too small to identify seemed to circle above the tallest tower, and somewhere in the distance, a fierce unearthly growl filled the air._

 _His heart hammering in his throat, the masked man moved forward, toward the palace doors.  
Twin doors of bone white wood, possibly yew, seemed to beckon him forwards.  
He pushed, and they swung silently open, without the faintest squeak of resistance from the hinges.  
_

 _As he wandered down the long corridor, he saw a light ahead.  
It being the only visible light in the vicinity, he crept cautiously forward, forever conscious of where he was and what he was about to do.  
His mind filled with a thousand images, each a part of his story of love and death._

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Twenty-Nine...


	29. Once Upon Another Time

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Once Upon Another Time

 _He had been born in a small stone cottage deep in the woods just a few miles away from the castle where the royal family lived.  
His mother had named him Erik, yet when he had been just three years of age, she had been dragged from their house after managing to hide him in the cellar and accused of practicing witchcraft.  
And when her accusers were asked whether they had any proof of their claims, all it took was the mention of the fact that she had birthed a deformed child, and upon the rising of the sun the next morning, she was burned at the stake._

 _After his mother's death, Erik sought shelter with a traveling band of gypsies, yet his trust was betrayed and he was forced to display his face to large crowds for money.  
After ten years of such treatment, he managed to escape and found work as a pickpocket.  
Just two years later, however, he was caught trying to pick the pocket of a high-ranking member of the court.  
However, instead of being arrested, he was instead offered a job as the Queen's Assassin._

 _He accepted, and immediately began training in various forms of execution, also inventing a few of his own.  
And he didn't mind, not truly.  
It was a way to release all of the torment he felt inside, that crushing myriad of emotions.  
And so he continued as the years passed... until he saw the Angel._

 _She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.  
With silvery-blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and lips that looked as soft as rose-petals, Erik suddenly felt a strange aching sensation in his chest.  
And when the Queen gave the order for the Angel to be killed, Erik knew that he couldn't allow that to happen.  
He had to protect her!  
So he took her to his cottage in the woods, but even that didn't work, because the Queen had somehow managed to find the Angel, and now she was dead.  
The Angel was dead, and it was Erik's fault.  
He just prayed that he could get her back._

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Thirty...


	30. Devil Take The Hindmost

Chapter Thirty: Devil Take The Hindmost

 _Erik pushed open a large door at the end of the corridor, noticing the expert hand that had carved the barrier, and entered the grand throne room.  
Like the walls of the palace outside, the interior walls were various shades of black and gray.  
The only colors to be found in the dank and dismal chamber were two magnificently decorated thrones._

 _Made out of solid gold, with beasts carved in silver running down the legs, Erik saw every gemstone imaginable to the mortal mind.  
Never before had he beheld such wealth in a single object.  
And yet, Erik cared nothing for the thrones themselves...  
No, his attention was focused on the figures seated in them..._

 _"Tell me, Erik, son of my sister," said Mordred, his deep voice seeming to reverberate off the walls of the room.  
"Why do you, a mortal who still breathes the air above, come down to my dark and lonely realm?"  
And Erik told him._

 _ _He told him of his birth to a young widow and how she had been taken from him when he was still small.  
He spoke of the gypsies, and his escape.  
He spoke of life on the streets as a pickpocket until he accidentally picked the pocket of the wrong man and was offered a job as an assassin.__

 _ _He spoke of Christine.  
He spoke of her beauty, of her kindness, and of her pure heart.  
He spoke of his need to protect her.  
__

 _He spoke of her stepmother's order to have her killed, and of their subsequent flight to the cottage in the woods where he had been born.  
He spoke of the two attempts on her life, and her removal of his mask.  
He spoke of his folly in driving her away.  
He spoke of going after her, and finding __her body.  
He spoke of his love for her, and of the cold, dark, empty hell that he was currently living in due to her death._

 _When he finished speaking, Mordred appeared unmoved, but his Queen had tears running down her fair cheeks.  
She reached over and laid a hand on his arm.  
"Please, my love, can we not grant this one request?" she entreated him.  
_

 _The King frowned at her.  
"But if I grant this one mortal's request, then others will come seeking their lost loved ones!" he argued.  
"And I can't have that!"  
 _He turned back to Erik.__

 _ _"My Queen and I have decided to grant your request... under one condition.  
You are not to tell anybody of this encounter, if you do, your beloved will be lost to you once more, and this time she will not be returned.  
Now, leave my realm at once!"__

 _ _At those words, Erik felt a powerful force tugging at him and then he was free, soaring weightless toward a bright light.__

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Thirty-One...


	31. More Joy Than You Can Bear

Chapter Thirty-One: More Joy Than You Can Bear

The first thing Erik was aware of when he returned to consciousness was that there seemed to be a large amount of snow piled on top of him.  
The second was that his mask was missing.  
Digging himself out of his icy prison, his eyes fell upon the glass coffin holding his sweet Christine, and he almost collapsed from the force of the memories of his time spent in the Underworld.  
Dare he hope?

Wasting no time, he made his way through the deep snow to the coffin and removed the lid, his heart pounding with anxiety and anticipation.  
This was the moment he would find out if Lord Mordred had kept his word.

Reaching forward, he hesitated.  
What if he touched her and her skin still bore the icy chill of death?  
The pain would surely kill him.

Hesitantly, he reached out again and ghosted his ungloved fingertips along her jawline.  
As soon as his bare skin made contact with hers, it was all he could do to remain standing.

She was warm.  
Her skin was warm and soft and he could feel her pulse beating in her neck where for so many months there had been none...  
And then he could feel her breathing, faint puffs of air that tickled his cheek, her chest rising rhythmically up and down.

There was something else nearby, something that was making strangled, heaving gasping noises as if they couldn't breathe.  
What in God's name...?  
Oh, that was him.

And then he was sobbing, his hyperventilating gasps giving way to harsh cries that wracked his thin frame and made his chest hurt as he collapsed onto the sheets, his legs unable to support him anymore as he clutched Christine tightly to his chest, his tears soaking into her hair and skin.  
"Christine..." he rasped out hoarsely, his throat raw and painful as he let out a choked sob.  
"Oh my Christine..."

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Thirty-Two...


	32. And Do I Dream Again?

Chapter Thirty-Two: And Do I Dream Again?

At first, there was nothing but darkness.  
Then, Christine found herself letting out a hoarse cry of pain and throwing her arm up to cover her eyes as her senses were unceremoniously assaulted with blazing sunlight.  
Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she then slowly reopened first one, then the other, giving her vision time to adjust.  
Glancing around in confusion, she noticed that she was back in the bedroom of Erik's cottage.  
But how had she gotten back here from the forest clearing?  
Had Erik gone after her and brought her back?  
If so, why?  
He had been so angry with her...  
Christine shuddered at the memory.

Trying to stand, she found herself collapsing to the floor as a sudden rush of dizziness overwhelmed her, her body refusing to cooperate.  
The next thing she knew was the sound of the door opening and an achingly familar voice in her ear, then arms were around her and she was being lifted up and placed back onto the bed.  
And then she was drifting off again, to the sound of a lullaby so sweet, so enchanting, that it must surely have been composed by the Angel of Music...

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Thirty-Three...


	33. Love Never Dies

Chapter Thirty-Three: Love Never Dies

The next time Christine opened her eyes, she was not alone.  
In a chair, next to the bed, was none other than Erik, his body tense and unyielding, even in sleep, as if ready to react at a moment's notice.  
Her eyes pricking with tears, she moved her arm toward him and grasped hold of his hand.

Instantly, the masked man's eyes snapped open and he stiffened further, if such a thing was possible.  
Glancing down, he saw the hand intwined with his own and froze.  
Slowly letting his eyes travel upward, he saw a familiar pair of sky-blue orbs gazing into his own.  
And... no... was he dreaming?  
Was his Angel actually _smiling_ at him?

Surreptiously, Erik pinched himself, hissing at the pain.  
A second later, at this sign of reality, he crumbled visibly, pulling Christine into his arms and weeping into her hair.  
" _Dieu merci... Dieu merci..._ _Je suis vraiment_ _désolé..._ _Pardonnez-moi_ , _s'il_ _vous_ _plaît, pardonnez_ - _moi..._ _Je t'aime..."_ he whispered over and over again as he pressed tiny, desperate kisses to every part of her body that he could reach.  
Lost in his feverish haze of desperation, Erik wasn't aware of his current actions or words, but Christine certainly was... and her heart was bursting with joy.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Thirty-Four...

 ** _A Message From The Authoress: For those of you who have yet to read it, I recently posted a new PotO fic.  
It's called "Come To Me", and is a crossover between Phantom of the Opera & The Haunted Mansion.  
I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could please pop over and review/follow..._**

 _ **Oh, and just to let you guys know in advance, there's a chance I may not be able to update very often this month.  
**_ _ **My annoying aunt and cousin are staying with us until December 8th, so I might not have a lot of writing time until after they leave.  
I'm sorry...**_


	34. Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh

Chapter Thirty-Four: Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh!

Six weeks later found Christine working in the back garden, Erik having finally deemed her sufficiently recovered from her recent experience with death.  
Now she wasn't fully recovered yet, Christine still had to be mindful of exerting herself as she tired easily, but she was feeling much better and considered this a definite improvement over not being able to leave her bed without experiencing dizzy spells and the occasional black-out.  
Of course, that didn't stop Erik from forcing her back into bed if he thought she looked even the slightest bit tired...

Speaking of Erik, Christine could see him now out of the corner of her eye.  
She smirked slightly to herself upon noticing the unusually tense posture and nervous twitching of her masked love.  
This should be fun.

"Good morning, Erik!" she called out cheerfully, struggling not to laugh as the masked man jerked in surprise before turning to her, his yellow eyes narrowed in a displeased glower as he saw the mirth in her eyes.  
"Really, _Mon Ange_?" Erik groaned in exasperation.  
"Do you delight in giving your poor Erik multiple heart attacks?"

The 16-year-old immediately felt chagrined.  
"I'm sorry, Erik," she mumbled quietly.  
"It was just a bit of fun..."

Erik arched a nonexistent masked eyebrow.  
"Fun?" he repeated tonelessly.  
"Scaring the life out of Erik is 'fun'?"

Christine winced.  
"No, Erik, I didn't mean it like that..." she began, only to break off when she saw his shoulders shaking suspiciously.  
Suddenly a snort escaped the masked man's lips and Christine stopped dead.

Was he... _laughing?  
_ He was!  
He was actually laughing!  
And at her, no less!

Christine was fuming as she stalked past him into the house and up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her and locking it for good measure.  
He wanted to make her feel bad for a harmless joke and then laugh at her?  
Well, let's see how he liked it when the tables were turned.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter 35...


End file.
